By Bryanne Salazar
8:17am PST, Jan 6, 2020
The Emmy-winning family series "Malcolm in the Middle" is celebrating a big anniversary! The comedy that starred Frankie Muniz, Jane Kaczmarek, Bryan Cranston, Christopher Masterson, Justin Berfield and Erik Per Sullivan as a gifted teen and his less intellectually blessed family members debuted for the very first time 20 years ago on Jan. 9, 2000. In honor of its two-decade anniversary, Wonderwall.com is checking up on its stars to find out what they're up to today. Keep reading for more…
RELATED: Hollywood's most iconic child stars
After his lead role on "Malcolm in the Middle" came to an end in 2006, Frankie Muniz — who'd already starred on the big screen in films like "Agent Cody Banks" and "Big Fat Liar" — made a major career shift by turning to professional race car driving. In addition to speeding down the race track, Frankie continued to act, occasionally appearing on screen in films like "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story," "Extreme Movie" and "Pizza Man" as well as on TV shows like "Criminal Minds," "Last Man Standing" and "The Mysteries of Laura." In 2012, Frankie suffered the first of two mini-strokes that left him with memory loss. In 2017 while competing on Season 25 of "Dancing With the Stars," Frankie revealed that years earlier, he was in a racing crash that broke his back and ribs, leaving him feeling like he has "the creaky, old body of a 71-year-old." In 2018, Frankie starred in the mystery thriller "The Black String" and hosted the first and only season of "Dancing With the Stars: Junior." That same year, he proposed to his longtime girlfriend, actress Paige Price. In addition to a wedding, Frankie has two movies on the horizon: "Hot Bath an' a Stiff Drink 2" and "Road to Capri."
RELATED: Celebs who got married in 2019
Jane Kaczmarek starred as family matriarch Lois Wilkerson — an intelligent but overbearing mom — on "Malcolm in the Middle."
Immediately following the end of "Malcolm in the Middle" in 2006, actress Jane Kaczmarek picked up a recurring role on the short-lived romantic-comedy series "Help Me Help You." From there, she landed on shows like "Raising the Bar," "Law & Order: SVU," "Us & Them" and "Playing House" as well as in movies like "Who Gets the Parents," "Lost on Purpose," "Salem Rogers" and "CHIPS." In 2017, Jane — who'd previously starred on Broadway — returned to the theater in a regional production of "The Roommate." More recently, we've seen Jane on screen in the movie "6 Balloons" and on an episode of "This Is Us" as well as on an episode of the series "Carol's Second Act." Up next, Jane will appear in the dramatic comedy "Killing Eleanor." As for her personal life? Jane and Bradley Whitford split in 2009 after nearly 17 years of marriage and three kids together.
Bryan Cranston starred as Hal Wilkerson, the likable but entirely indecisive dad and husband on "Malcolm in the Middle."
The only actor on "Malcolm in the Middle" whose career got even bigger after the show ended is Bryan Cranston, who, as every pop culture follower knows, played Walter White on the wildly popular crime-drama series "Breaking Bad" from 2008 to 2013. In addition to the show — which won him a Golden Globe and six Primetime Emmys — Bryan also has a rather robust film roster that includes movies like "Little Miss Sunshine," "The Lincoln Lawyer," "Larry Crowne," "Rock of Ages," "Argo" and "Trumbo," the latter of which earned him an Oscar nomination for best lead actor. A year after "Breaking Bad" ended, Bryan made his Broadway debut as President Lyndon B. Johnson in the stage production of "All the Way," the first of three plays he appeared in and one he later produced. Bryan's also the creator, writer and producer of the hit series "Sneaky Pete." He's also enjoyed long-running voice roles on the animated adult series "Family Guy" and on "SuperMansion." In 2019, Bryan reprised his role as Walter White in "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie." Up next, he'll star on the drama series "Your Honor" and voice a character in the 2020 animated comedy "The One and Only Ivan." Bryan's been married to second wife Robin Dearden, an actress with whom he shares actress daughter Taylor Dearden, since 1989.
Christopher Masterson starred as rebellious eldest son Francis Wilkerson, who continuously clashed with mom Lois, on "Malcolm in the Middle."
Life couldn't be more different for Christopher Masterson since "Malcolm in the Middle" ended in 2006. He acted in films like "The Art of Travel" and on TV shows like "Haven" and tried his hand at film and TV producing and also found a new passion in music, transforming himself into popular Los Angeles-based nightclub DJ Chris Kennedy. But Chris — the brother of actors Danny Masterson, Alanna Masterson and Jordan Masterson — hasn't completely retired from acting. In 2019, he appeared in the films "I'd Like to Be Alone Now" and "Beneath the Leaves." In 2007 — the year after "Malcolm in the Middle" ended — he split with his longtime girlfriend, actress Laura Prepon. In 2019, Chris married his love of four years, actress Yolanda Pecoraro.
Justin Berfield starred as the second oldest son, Reese Wilkerson, on "Malcolm in the Middle." Malcolm's bully of an older brother was known to push around his younger siblings at home, though he always came to their defense at school.
After "Malcolm in the Middle" came to an end, Justin Berfield only performed one more time on screen — on an episode of "Son of Tucson," a show he also executive produced. The reason his acting portfolio slowed down is because his career behind the scenes sped up. In 2010, Justin became the co-founder and chief creative officer of Virgin Produced, the film and TV development, packaging and production side of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin brand. As seen on his social media channels, Justin is also a huge sports fan and avid fisherman.
Erik Per Sullivan starred as Dewey Wilkerson, the intelligent and musically gifted but often forgotten and overlooked youngest son (at least for the first four seasons, until a new little brother comes along).
Erik Per Sullivan is in his late 20s but despite being a millennial, he has, remarkably, almost no social media footprint. After leaving "Malcolm in the Middle" in 2006, Erik lent his voice to the animated film "Arthur and the Invisibles" and landed small roles in the movies "MO" in 2007 and "Twelve" in 2010. After that, he disappeared from the limelight. He reportedly graduated from the University of Southern California but after that, the "Where's Erik?" trail goes cold. He's seen here at age 15 in 2007.
Craig Lamar Traylor (left) played Stevie Kenarban, Malcolm's equally intellectual best friend on "Malcolm in the Middle" who's socially awkward and uses a wheelchair.
Like many of his former co-stars, Craig Lamar Traylor continued to land occasional on-screen roles following the end of "Malcolm in the Middle." After appearing in three films since 2006, including 2012's "This Bitter Earth," Craig — seen here in a 2018 Instagram selfie — embarked on a path as a San Francisco-based spiritualist and wire artist who designs wearable art and jewelry from gemstones and metal that he believes "heals the soul and tames the mind." (Check out his work at @Deity_Designs on Instagram.) It appears that Craig still dabbles in acting as he has a role in the 2021 Western "Forgiven This Gun4Hire."
